Preacher showrunner on bringing the comic to TV: 'Tone is the hardest part'

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Everything we’ve seen from AMC’s adaptation of the cult hit comic Preacher has looked great, and not surprisingly, that didn’t happen by accident.

With the series set to debut in just a couple of months (and the first trailer blowing fans away), showrunner Sam Catlin opened up to The Verge about the challenges of bringing something so dark, funny, violent and terrifying to life. Turns out, nailing down the right tone was the hardest part of making it happen. Caitlin said they’ve worked hard to find a balance that doesn’t slide too deep in any one direction, while also setting its own unique style.

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“The tone is the hardest part. It’s the hardest part for the actors, it’s the hardest part for the writing, it’s the hardest part for costumes, directing; all of it. It’s the hardest because you don’t want it to become too silly, but you don’t want it to become too heavy. And you don’t want to be disgustingly violent, but you want it to have that same sort of fun.

We talked about Tarantino a lot, as somebody that’s able to balance humor and real stakes, but also violence. But it’s sorta hard when we’re trying to figure out these stories, because there’s nothing to really compare it to. Which is what’s so exciting about it, but it’s also: Oh god, is this going to work? We’ve never seen it before. That tone, and that balance… You’ve got characters talking about the meaning of life, and God, and all that stuff which could be really preachy and navel-gazing. But to go from that, to comedy, and action — it’s the real fun challenge of the show.”

Preacher is set to premiere Sunday, May 22, following the midseason finale of Fear the Walking Dead.